Device for driving engine cooler



Feb. 14, 1961 K. WRIGHT DEVICE FOR DRIVING ENGINE COOLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 16, 1959 f INVENTOR.

Z e717rez BY Feb. 14, 1961 K. WRIGHT DEVICE FOR DRIVING ENGINE COOLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1959 A1972 we??? 54L DEVICE FOR DRIVING ENGINE COOLER Kenneth Wright, Flint, Mich., assignor to Leon Hart Motors, Inc., Flint, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 793,577

7 Claims. (Cl. 12341.01)

This invention relates to engine cooling devices, and more particularly to portable mechanisms adapted for use in a shop to cool air-cooled automotive engines in a rapid manner.

The increase in use of small and compact cars in America, including those having air-cooled engines, has created problems of shop maintenance which known techniques have not been able to overcome in a satisfactory manner. Among such problems is the necessity for cooling small engines, especially air-cooled engines, before certain operations such as valve tappet adjustment can be performed in a shop. Ordinarily it may take several hours for certain types of air-cooled engines to cool from working temperatures to room temperatures, which means an undue delay before work on the engine can be started.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved apparatus by means of which a vehicle engine can be cooled quickly to room temperature, the apparatus being of an inexpensive and portable nature.

It is another object to provide an improved engine cooling device of this character which is easy to install and utilizes the cooling system of the engine itself.

It is a further object to provide an improved engine cooling device having the above characteristics, which is inexpensive to operate, and requires little or no maintenance.

It is also an object to provide an improved engine cooling device of this nature which may be adapted for a particular type of vehicle in such a manner that the device may be easily located in its correct position on any engine of this make by simple manipulations.

It is a further object to provide an improved engine cooling device of this character which is especially adapted for a small air-cooled engine having a combined gen; erator and fan shaft, and which may be supported by portions of the engine itself.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved engine cooling device shown in its mounted position and connected to an air-cooled engine;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device showing the manner in which it is attached to the engine parts;

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the base configuration; and

Figure 4 is a front elevational view illustrating the manner in which the pulley engaging flange is mounted on the pulley.

In general terms, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a base having an electric motor mounted thereon, a crankshaft pulley-engaging flange having an arcuate recess at one end of the base, and a bar slidably mounted on the base and engageable with another portion of the engine such as the intake manifold. These parts are so related as to locate the motor in a pre- United States Patent ICE determined position when they engage their respective engine parts, this position being such that a flexible coupling secured to the motor shaft will be securable to a shaft which is part of the engine assembly and drives the cooling system. As illustrated, an air cooling system including a fan is driven by the shaft to which the electric motor is secured. By energizing the electric motor, the cooling system will quickly cool the engine in a matter of minutes instead of hours.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the unit is indicated generally at 11 and comprises a flat base 12 of generally rectangular shape, and an electric motor 13 secured to one end of said base, the shaft 14 of said motor extending in the direction of the long base axis. Motor 13 may be of any suitable type energizable by available shop voltage and of sufiicient power to drive the engine cooling system as later described. The motor is secured to base 12 by bolts 15, with its shaft some distance above the base surface. A handle 16 is secured to the upper end of the motor so that the entire assembly may be easily transported by hand. A cable 17 extends from the motor, to be connected to a power source in a conventional manner.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is especially adapted for use with air-cooled engines in cars such as the well-known Volkswagen, which has a rear engine compartment 18 with a hood 19. It will be understood however that the principles of the invention could be applied to other types of engines where appropriate. The standard Volkswagen engine, indicated generally at 21, is provided With a rearwardly facing crankshaft pulley 22, a generator 23 spaced above the engine, and a cooling system which includes a fan 24. The fan casing has ductwork shown partially at 25 leading from its outlet to portions of engine 21 which serve to maintain the engine at operating temperature when it is running. However, when the engine is not running the cooling system is also stopped, and the engine requires approximately four hours to cool to room temperature without the cooling system in operation. Generator 23 and fan 24 are driven by a common shaft 25 which is normally connected to pulley 22 by a belt (not shown) and pulley (also not shown) mounted on the rear end of shaft 25. The Volkswagen is also provided with a transversely extending intake manifold 26 above the engine but below the level of generator 23, as seen in Figure l, the intake manifold being located some distance forwardly of pulley 22. It should be kept in mind of course that the relative locations of the abovedescribed parts will be substantially the same in all cars of this make.

A pulley-engaging flange 27 extends downwardly from the forward edge of base 12, one side of this flange having an arcuate recess 28, as seen in Figure 4. The edge of recess 28 is so formed as to fit snugly within the upper portion of the groove in pulley 22 when the flange is mounted thereon. A reinforcing web 29 extends below base 12 and is connected with the rear surface of flange 27, adding rigidity to the structure. A pair of bar guides 31 and 32 are located adjacent one edge of base 29 at some distance thereabove, these guides being on the same side of the base as recess 28, this relative location being visible in Figure 4. Guides 31 and 32 are of an open-slotted nature and are formed as lateral extensions of an upwardly extending flange 33 which is parallel with the motor axis and is disposed at the forward end of base 12, a portion of the flange extending forwardly of the base as seen in Figure 2. The slots in guides 31 and 32 are aligned in a common plane inclined upwardly and rearwardly with respect to base 12. The guides are adapted to receive a supporting bar 34 which is slidably mounted therein, this bar being held within the guide slots by -a pin 35 extending through the outer end of guide 31 and a pin 36 extending through the outer end of guide 32. A clamping screw 37 is threadably mounted in the upper end of guide 32 and is adapted to engage the upper surface of bar 34 to hold the bar in its adjusted position Bar 32 is of flat shape and has an upwardly concave hook portion 38 at its forward end, this hook portion being adapted to engage the rounded underside of intake manifold 26, as seen in Figure 2. It should be noted that, as illustrated in Figure 4, while the weight of motor 13 is on one side of a vertical plane passing through the center of recess 28, bar 34 is on the other side of such a plane, so that any tendency of the assembly to tilt toward its heavier side will be counteracted by bar 34.

Means are provided on the forward end of shaft 14 for securing this shaft to the cooling system shaft after the fan belt pulley has been removed as seen in Figure 2. This means includes a flexible coupling generally indicated at 39 which comprises a helical spring 41 extending between two collars '42 and 43. Collar 42 is fastened to shaft 14 by a key 44, with spring 41 non-rotatably secured to the collar. Collar 43 is spaced from shaft 14, as seen in Figure 2, and has a threaded bore 45 adapted to be mounted on the threaded portion 46 of shaft 25 which normally carries the fan belt pulley retaining nut. Spring 41 is likewise secured to collar 43, so that rotation of shaft 14 will cause rotation of shaft 25.

In operation, unit 11 will normally be kept available in the shop, and when it is desired to cool an engine, the fan belt, generator shaft pulley and its retaining nut will be removed. Recess 28 of flange 27 will be placed on pulley 22, and bar 34 slipped into position under manifold 26, the bar being clamped by screw 37. Unit 11 will thus be held firmly in position, and collar 43 may be threaded onto shaft 25 and motor 13 energized. The motor will thus drive shaft 25 through flexible coupling 39, causing fan 24 to coo-l the engine. Coupling 12 will of course compensate for any misalignment between shafts 14 and 25. After the engine has been cooled, it will merely be necessary to unscrew collar 43, withdraw bar 34 and lift unit 11 off pulley 22, replacing the fan belt, generator shaft pulley and retaining nut.

It should be observed that the above-described operations are extremely simple and that unit 11 is assured of proper location because of the fact that it will always engage the same parts of the vehicle engine. It is unneccessary for the unit to engage any parts of the car body, and the unit will occupy a minimum of space while it is running the cooling system, so that other parts of the en gine are still accessible to the mechanic.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed is Well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

.1. Ina portable device for driving a rotary component of a vehicle engine cooling system, a portable base separate from the vehicle engine, means on said base adapted to be detachably secured to portions of the vehicle engine, an electric motor on said base and having a shaft, and means for detachably connecting the shaft of said motor to said rotary component of the engine cooling system.

2. In a device for use in conjunction with an automobile engine having a' crankshaft pulley and a cooling system shaft normally belt-driven by said pulley; a base, means on the underside'of said base adapted to be mounted on said engine crankshaft pulley, an electric motor on said base having a shaft, and a coupling on said motor shaft adapted to be secured to said engine cooling system shaft.

3. In a device for use in conjunction with an automobile engine having a crankshaft pulley and a cooling system shaft normally belt-driven by said pulley; a base, a flange on the underside of said base, a downwardly facing recess on said flange adapted to engage said crankshaft pulley, an electric motor on said base having a shaft, and a flexible coupling secured to said motor shaft and adapted to be connected to said engine cooling system shaft.

4. In a device for operating the cooling system of an engine of the type having a crankshaft, a crankshaft pulley, and a fan shaft above said crankshaft, a base, means on the underside of said base for engaging the crankshaft pulley, adjustable means carried by said base and engageable with another portion of the engine at a point spaced from said crankshaft pulley, an electric motor on said base having a shaft, and a coupling adapted to connect the motor shaft with said fan shaft.

5. In a device for operating the cooling system of an engine having a substantially horizontal crankshaft, a fan shaft above said crankshaft, and a manifold between said crankshaft and fan shaft, a base, a downwardly extending flange on said base, a downwardly facing arcuate recess in said flange adapted to engage the crankshaft pulley, adjustable means carried by said base and engageable with said manifold, an electric motor on said base, and a coupling for connecting the motor shaft to said fan shaft.

6. The combination according to claim 5, said adjusta ble means comprising a bar slidably mounted on said base, a hooked outer end on said bar for engaging the underside of the manifold, and means for clamping said bar in its adjusted position. v

7. The combination according to claim 5, said coupling comprising a helical spring having one end secured to said motor shaft, and an internally threaded collar secured to the other end of said spring and adapted to be threaded onto the outer end of said fan shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,662,723 Snow Mar. 13, 1928 2,019,476 Brownlee Nov. 5, 1935 2,476,837 Cline July19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 191,019 Great Britain 1924 

